Sociology 303 Statistics: Research Methods Review

Lecture Overview

• Instructor: Dr. Alvarez
• Importance of understanding:
  • Research process
  • Variables (key concept throughout the semester)
  • Causality
  • Conceptualizing variables
  • Methods of social research

Purposes of Research

1. Exploration
   • Familiarizing with a new topic/phenomenon.
   • Example: Dr. Alvarez's dissertation on payday lending.
2. Description
   • Describing a process or phenomenon.
   • Example: Process of individuals taking out payday loans.
3. Explanation
   • Understanding why phenomena occur.
   • Privileged in research for trying to show causality.
   • Example: Explaining why people choose payday loans over other credit forms.

Research Processes

• Deductive Approach
  • Start with theory → Generate hypothesis → Structured observation → Data analysis → Conclusion.
  • Rigorous collection of data (experiments, surveys, ethnographies).
  • Typically quantitative and statistical.
• Inductive Approach
  • Observational → Generate theory → Refine and iterate.
  • Often qualitative and involves repeated observation.
  • Example: Jane Goodall's work with gorillas.

Variables

• Definition: Properties that take on two or more values in research.
• Types of Measurement:
  • Nominal: Categories without intrinsic order (e.g., gender, race).
  • Ordinal: Ranked categories without known distances (e.g., class identification).
  • Interval/Ratio: Numeric values with known distances (e.g., years of education, income).

Types of Variables

• Dichotomous: Two possible responses (e.g., yes/no).
• Categorical: Based on nominal/ordinal data.
• Numeric:
  • Discrete: Whole numbers (e.g., number of children).
  • Continuous: Subdividable units (e.g., height, time).

Relationships Between Variables

• Independent Variable (X): Presumed cause.
• Dependent Variable (Y): Outcome/effect.
• Causality:
  • Correlation: Must vary together.
  • Time Order: Cause precedes effect.
  • Non-spuriousness: No third variable causing the relationship.

Conceptualization

• Defining Concepts: E.g., Political engagement.
• Dimensions: Different aspects of a concept.
• Indicators: Variables that measure concepts.
• Example:
  • Political Engagement → Voting, Information, Contact, Elections.

Research Methods

• Experiments: High causality, limited generalizability, in-depth understanding.
• Ethnographies: In-depth understanding, low causality and generalizability.
• Surveys: High generalizability, moderate causality, limited in-depth understanding.

Key Points

• Importance of choosing the right method for research questions.
• Understanding strengths and weaknesses of each method.
• Emphasis on statistics and survey methods in this class.

Action Items

• Review lecture notes.
• Email Dr. Alvarez with any questions about lecture content.

These notes summarize key aspects from the lecture and can be used as a study aid for understanding research methods in sociology.